Major League Soccer denies report of big changes in 2014 schedule

Gershon Koffie, Hector Jimenez

Darryl Dyck / Associated Press

Vancouver's Gershon Koffe, left, and Galaxy midfielder Hector Jimenez battle for the ball during a game in August. Don't expect to see any major changes to the 2014 Major League Soccer schedule, a spokesman says.

Vancouver's Gershon Koffe, left, and Galaxy midfielder Hector Jimenez battle for the ball during a game in August. Don't expect to see any major changes to the 2014 Major League Soccer schedule, a spokesman says. (Darryl Dyck / Associated Press)

Jim Peltz

A Major League Soccer spokesman said Monday that the league's 2014 schedule will look similar to this year's, contradicting a report that suggested major changes were planned.

"The timing and format of the 2014 schedule will be very similar to the current season," MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche said.

Next year's schedule is expected to be announced before this year's MLS Cup championship game Dec 7.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News wrote Monday that the league was moving toward adopting a European-like schedule "that could be implemented by the start of the 2014 season."

That schedule that would have the MLS season start in late July or August, include a winter break of six to eight weeks, and end in late May or early June, he wrote.

The MLS season currently starts in March and runs until the MLS cup in December. The last regular-season game this year for the Galaxy, the reigning MLS champion, is Oct. 27.

Courtemanche acknowledged that the question of making significant changes in the schedule was posed in a recent fan survey, part of the market research the MLS regularly conducts to gauge fans' interest and preferences.